Water content

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Bcrazy

Drone Bee
Joined
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Location
Warboys, CAMBS
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nil bees given away all colonies
I believe there is a certain amount of water within honey which can be sold to the public.

What is the Maximum % allowed and is there a way of testing the amount of water in the honey?

Regards;
 
I think it has to be below 20% and can be tested with a refractometer.
 
Ivor Davis has an article in the beginers section regards the % of water in honey in the December edition of Beecraft.
 
I bought a refractometer on e-bay which comes from Hong Kong for about ?20, In this country they go for ?60-70 a throw.
If you would like further details let me know.

Regards;
 
I bought one of the Hong Kong jobs last year and it seems very well made.
But I'd like to check its calibration and I don't have any of the special calibration oil for refractometers. Anyone know of a supplier?

I read recently you can do it accurately with virgin olive oil - anyone know the details?

Thanks, Ray
 
I remember reading the zero can be check with distilled water, for a specific scale reading you can use olive oil.

Yes water contest must be below 20%.
 
Thank you for your replies but what if the water content measures over 20% what then?

Regards;
 
Then you have bakers honey?

I am not sure at what % you could get fermentation but I would not jar over 20%

I assume you can heat to take some of the water content out but then it would be no better than the rubbish sold in supermarkets because much of the antibiotic and pollen properties would be lost?
 
I had some over 20% this year.
I used it to make mead and fed the rest back to the bees.
 
Have the regs changed as it used to be 21% or less for floral honey and up to 23% for Ling.

PH
 
Borage upper limit is 22% :).

Calibrate by using calibration block plus dioptric oil, both supplied cheaply by our friend in Hong-Kong !.
Calibration mark for dioptric oil is 18% water.

John Wilkinson
 
I bought a refractometer on e-bay which comes from Hong Kong for about ?20, In this country they go for ?60-70 a throw.
If you would like further details let me know.

Regards;

Hi there. Could you please post the details of the refractometer off ebay. Thanks
 
I think I have the same one as Bcrazy,used it a couple of times and its great.
The seller on Ebay is gainexpress,cost was around ?20
 

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